Ask an atheist anything! (seriously, anything)

[MiserereMeiDei]

There you go using the bible again. You can’t represent the atheist with a bible in your hand.

Making the world work isn’t a source of obligation. Convenience isn’t obligatory.

 

[Wozza]

Wozza:

If that’s a risk you are prepared to take then it I’m bemused by it.

It’s not really up to me.

Whether to have children? I think it might be up to you. Whether they go to heaven or hell? That’s out of your hands. It’s a chance you take. One I wouldn’t.

 

[Wozza]

There you go using the bible again. You can’t represent the atheist with a bible in your hand.

Why not? There’s a lot in the bible that we can all learn from. Such as ‘treat others as you would be treated’. Should I ignore that?

 

[Wozza]

It’s avoidable though ! Eternal damnation is a choice made to reject God and you can’t control that choice made by your children. Very few people would choose it would they.

Very few? Half the planet has.

 

[mrsdizzyd]

mrsdizzyd:

Wozza:

If that’s a risk you are prepared to take then it I’m bemused by it.

It’s not really up to me.

Whether to have children? I think it might be up to you. Whether they go to heaven or hell? That’s out of your hands. It’s a chance you take. One I wouldn’t.

Like I said, my vocation is marriage and with it comes the responsibility to have children. You’ve been here long enough to know that Catholics don’t believe in contracepting. There are some things that we can do licitly, but ultimately we believe that God blesses us with children (or not) and we do our best.

 

[ioannes_pius]

Greetings!

My question for you is: what is your principal objection to God’s existence?

 

[MiserereMeiDei]

It’s not authoritative in the opinion of the atheist, just another’s opinions, and in the context of this conversation does nothing to explain how one can be obliged to another.

 

[snarflemike]

BTW, I’ll give you a little friendly advice. Don’t spend a lot of time referring to Richard Dawkins’ writings on the topic of God. Those writings are considered a joke, or worse, by a great many people, both believers and non-believers. There may be good arguments against the existence of God, but Dawkins doesn’t know them.

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thinkingmatters.org.nz

 

[snarflemike]

Thanks for the warm welcome! I’m enjoying it here more than I thought I would.

I think most of us are happy to discuss with an atheist who doesn’t have a chip on his shoulder. Especially considering how many of us used to be in that boat.

 

[MiserereMeiDei]

Eternal damnation is a choice made to reject God and you can’t control that choice made by your children. Very few people would choose it would they.

Most people choose it.

[13] Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat. [14] How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it!

[14] For many are called, but few are chosen.

 

[Neithan]

Welcome to Catholic Answers Forums and I hope you find your time well spent here.

They finally have accepted my beliefs and don’t try and force me to participate in anything religious.

What is a belief you have that you think contradicts theism, and what is it based on?

 

[mrsdizzyd]

halogirl:

Eternal damnation is a choice made to reject God and you can’t control that choice made by your children. Very few people would choose it would they.

Most people choose it.

[13] Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat. [14] How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it!

[14] For many are called, but few are chosen.

Whether there are a few people in hell or a lot of people in hell, there is two things we can be sure of: the punishment is just and the result of a free choice.

This is the main reason why I don’t get anxious about hell. If I end up there, it will be because I chose it and I would not have it any other way.

 

[halogirl]

Most people choose to do their own thing and not strive for God as they don’t believe or haven’t experienced Him. But I don’t honestly think many people when shown the full truth would choose their own path.

 

[MiserereMeiDei]

The worst part about hell to me is the thought that if I went there that I could actually hate God.

 

[mrsdizzyd]

The worst part about hell to me is the thought that if I went there that I could actually hate God.

I know. I really can’t fathom it.

 

[blackforest]

So, what have you got?

Welcome to CAF!

OK. I’ll bite. Most of my contacts on an alternative social media site are atheists. Not a day goes by without some expression of hostility, snark, and/or disgust toward religion or religious people, almost invariably Christians.

I disagree with atheism but feel no need to snark off about it to an audience. I disagree with Hinduism but feel no urge to post memes making fun of their gods. I disagree with Buddhism but don’t feel compelled to frame Buddists as “dangerous,” “delusional,” “idiots,” or any of the creative expletives I’ve heard about Christians.

Many of the memes are ignorant to the point of being cringe-worthy, often taking the Bible more literally than fundamentalist Christians.

To be clear, I don’t encounter this behavior from all of the atheists I know. On the contrary, I’ve had some fascinating, enlightening, and respectful conversations with them.

But with regards to the others, why do you think I encounter so much hate and bigotry? Did I just get bad luck with my contacts, or do other people encounter these attitudes, as well?

 

[halogirl]

Exactly. You don’t hate God. You want to please God and be a good person and love others . So purgatory is more likely here. If you seriously were going to Hell you wouldn’t be here worrying about it with us.

 

[Lou2U]

But with regards to the others, why do you think I encounter so much hate and bigotry? Did I just get bad luck with my contacts, or do other people encounter these attitudes, as well?

I know you’re not asking me, but I thought I’d chip in with my thoughts:

I think firstly it’s because you’re talking online, which often has lower boundaries. Anonymity lets people feel more comfortable saying things which are untrue and insulting. It also tends to allow angry people to collect together into echo chambers to feel better about themselves. I do think to some extent you’ve been unlucky. I think the other factor is the demographics of who you’re talking to. If most of the people on this other forum are from traditionally Christian countries, then that tends to be where the snark is directed. That’s probably why you don’t hear it against Hinduism or Buddhism so much.

 

[STT]

So, what have you got?

We are collection of interacting minds, interacting in the physical, physical being the stuff we experience and cause.

 

[halogirl]

I feel this so much. Let’s play ‘atheist on the Internet bingo’. Have you heard the following while dealing with them, for a full house ? ‘Sky daddy, Flying Spaghetti Monster, crutch, Christmas is a pagan appropriation, Of all the thousands of Gods yours is correct? imaginary friend, religion is the cause of all problems in the world. Sheeple’. Etc etc etc . Do you know what I say to them? ‘Why do you need me not to believe in God?’ ‘What is your crutch?’